(1) Springing off of the recent fad of raw cookie dough served like ice cream at a Greenwich Village store called DŌ, I think it would be interesting to look at another specialized bakery. Schmackary’s, in the Theater District, nearly exclusively sells cookies. Although it does not currently amass four hour lines like DŌ, Schmackary’s has picked up a following from the surrounding theater community from its location, catering and partnerships with local Broadway shows.
In profiling this institution, I think it would be interesting to cover both the physical baking and sale of the cookies as well as their acclaim within a community. It would be visually compelling to watch the staff prepare the dough and informative if paired with interview clips explaining what was happening. In terms of covering their reception, I could both interview customers about their experience and show their immediate reaction to the product.
(2) Student artists could be great representations of what it means to be committed to a passion despite the hardships that come with pursuing it. I think it would make a very good video to profile an artist at a CUNY school who embodies the constant hard work characteristic of New Yorkers while showcasing what it takes to succeed in the current arts scene.
The person I am thinking of, specifically, is a dancer at Hunter College. Mariya Gordon is a sophomore studying marketing who balances three jobs, an internship and six classes while pursuing her career as a dancer. Since Gordon is constantly working and trying to strike a worthwhile balance of what she needs to do to sustain herself with what she wants to do, I think it would be especially interesting to follow her schedule over the course of a day (or even a week). Her work as a dancer and job as a rhythmic gymnastics coach would provide for some interesting visuals, while interviews with those she works with might provide compelling insight.
My qualm with profiling Gordon is that she is not necessarily someone of pertinent importance, though I would argue that her being unknown makes her story representative of a larger experience.